Happy 20th anniversary, NFL two-point conversion

They voted to approve the two-point conversion, as on-this-day.com and the NFL Record & Fact Book point out.

The introduction of the two-point conversion came as part of the NFL’s efforts to increase scoring after a 1993 season in which 18-of-28 teams tallied less than 20 points per game. The NFL also voted to push kickoffs back to the 30-yard-line with an eye on improving starting field position for offenses.

Teams embraced the two-point try right off the bat. Clubs converted 59 attempts in 1994, with Miami leading the NFL with six.

By contrast, the 32 NFL teams converted just 33 two-point tries in 2013. The Bears led the league with five successful conversions.

Still, the two-point try seems likely to be a part of the NFL’s fabric for years and years to come. This is, after all, a league that likes its scoring. To wit: Twenty-five teams scored 20 points or more per game in 2013. And if efforts to make extra points more challenging take hold, the two-point try could become a bigger part of the arsenal for clubs.

Was the motivation for adding the 2-point conversion really rooted in the desire to see more points on the board? I thought it was primarily to provide teams/coaches more options late in the game as far as catching up or building leads. At least that’s mostly how it’s been used since its inception.